Apparatus for assembling a U-shaped fastener on sheet material

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for use in fastening sheet material using a generally U-shaped fastener which is applied to the sheet material with one arm overlying a respective outwardly directed face, and at least one of the arms being deformed into engagement with the face, the apparatus comprising a magazine for fasteners, means for biasing fasteners in the magazine towards a fastening station in which sheet material is receivable between the arms of a fastener in the station, and a fastening member operable to bear on an arm of a fastener in the station to deform that arm into engagement with the sheet material.

United States Patent Lam Sept. 9, 1975 [54] APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING A 2715,731 8/1955 Pugcl 29/212 D U SHAPED FASTENER ON SHEET 2,94l,43l 6/1960 Christensen Ct al. 29/Zl2 D MATERIAL [76] Inventor: Ka Duk Lam, e0 Hung To Rd., Primw Lanhafn Hung Fuk Factory Bldg Block Assistant Exumz'nerVictor A. DiPalma 5th Floor, Kwun Tong Kowloon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lawrence E. Laubscher Hong Kong [22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT 21 A I. No.: 440,385 1 pp Apparatus for use in fastemng sheet material using a generally U-shaped fastener which is applied to the [30] Foreign Application Priority Data sheet material with one arm overlying a respective Feb. 13, 1973 United Kingdom 7094 73 outwardly directed face, n at st n of the arms being deformed into engagement with the face, the ap- [52] US. Cl. 29/212 D; 29/200 B; 29/200 H; paratus comprising a magazine for fasteners, means 29/21 1 I) for biasing fasteners in the magazine towards a fasten- [51] Int. Cl. B23Q 7/10 g station n hi h she t material is receivable be- [58] Field of Search 29/212 D, 212 R, 212 P, tween the arms of a fastener in the station, and a fas- 29/211 D, 211 R, 200 B, 200 H, 243.56, tening member operable to bear on an arm of a fas- 29/243,58 tener in the station to deform that arm into engagement with the sheet material. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures l,296,749 3/l9l9 Borchert ct a] 29/212 D PATENTED 91975 3,903,580

SHEET 2 BF 2 MM... I J HG.

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING A U-SHAPED FASTENER ON SHEET MATERIAL The present invention relates to apparatus for use in fastening sheet material.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for use in fastening sheet material using a generally U-shaped fastener, the apparatus comprising a magazine for fasteners, means for biasing fasteners in the magazine towards a fastening station in which sheet material is receivable between the arms of a fastener in the station, and a fastening member operable to bear on an arm of a fastener in the station to deform that arm into engagement with the sheet material.

In a preferred embodiment the magazine is provided between two relatively movable members, the members being movable apart for loading the magazine with fasteners, and the fastening member is mounted for movement with one of the magazine members and is pivotable relative thereto against a spring bias. The fastening station is positioned at one end of the magazine in which the fasteners are intended to be positioned with the arms extending generally normal to thepivot axis of the fastener member.

The present invention will be more fully understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side views, before and after use respectively, of a fastener for use with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through an embodiment of the invention, on the line IIIIII of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section on the line IV-IV of FIGS. 3 and 5;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section on the line V-V of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 showing the apparatus in an operating position;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section on the line VIIVII of FIG. 4 but with the apparatus in condition for loading with fasteners; and

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 5.

As shown in the drawings, the apparatus is adapted to fasten generally U-shaped fasteners 1 about sheet material 2 by deforming at least one arm of the fastener 1 while the other arm is supported, the sheet material being located between the arms of the fastener.

The apparatus comprises a base member 3 which provides one wall 4 of a magazine 5 for fasteners 1, as will appear. The base member 3 has an elongate member 6 defining a channel 7 open at 8 on one longitudinal edge. Immediately rearwardly of the member 6 is a longitudinally extending step 9 which engages and posi tionally maintains the ends of one of the arms of fasteners 1 in the magazine. The bases of the fasteners abut the adjacent surface of the member 6, which surface together with the surface of the member 3 between the member 6 and step 9 forms the one wall 4 of the magazine 5.

A magazine biasing member 10 for biasing fasteners 1 in the magazine 5 towards a fastening station 11 at the right hand end (as viewed in FIG. 4) of the wall 4, slides in the recess between the member 6 and step 9. The member 10 preferably has the same general shape as the fasteners although it may have any other suitable shape. The member 10 carries a lateral extension 13 which-extends into the channel 7 through the opening 8, the extension 13 sliding on a rod 14 extending centrally in the channel 7 and being biased towards the right hand end of the channel by a helical spring 15 around the rod 14. The biasing member 10 is provided with an upwardly extending projection 16 which is engageable to manually move the member 10 along the recess 9 against the bias of the spring 15 for loading the magazine with fasteners.

The opposite wall 17 of the magazine is provided by an elongate member 18 pivotally mounted on side flanges 19 carried by the base member 3. The member 18 is pivotable from an out of the way position (FIG. 7) for loading the magazineyto an engaged position (FIG. 3) in which it confines fasteners in the magazine 5.

That surface of the member 18 providing the magazine wall 17 is formed with a longitudinally extending recess 20 into which the projection 16 extends, a longitudinally extending groove 21 in which a locating projection 22 on the biasing member 10 is engaged, and a step 23 for engaging and positionally maintaining the ends of the others of the arms of the fasteners l in the magazine 5.

A fastening member 24 is also pivotally mounted for movement with the member 18, the fastening member being mounted on an upper operating member 25. Springs 26 are provided between the operating member 25 and the member 18 to bias the members 24 and 25 to a limit position determined by a pin 27 on the member 18 which engages in a slot 28 in the fastening member 24.

The fastening member 24 is located between the right hand extremity (as viewed in F IG. 4) of the member 18 and the adjacent side flange l9 and is positioned in the fastening station 11 when the member18 is in its engaged position. To provide adequate mounting of the operating member 25, a member 29 similar to the fastening member 24 is mounted between the other extremity of the member 18 and the adjacent side flange 19. The member 29 is also provided with a slot 28 in which a pin 27 on member 18 is engaged.

In operation, the magazine 5 is filled with fasteners 1 with the members 18, 24 and 25 in the out of the way position. The members 18, 24 and 25 are then pivoted to position the member 18 in its engaged position. In this position, a detent protuberance 30 on one or each side flange 19 engages in the or each slot 28 in the adjacent member 24 to hold the members 18, 24 and 25 in this position.

With the member 18 in its engaged position, the fastening member 24 is positioned in the fastening station immediately above one arm of the extreme right hand fastener 1 at the right hand end of the magazine 5. Sheet material to be fastened is inserted between the arms of that fastener in the fastening station and the front edge of the operating member 25 is pressed downwardly towards the base member 3. The front edge of the member 18 immediately comes into contact with the top surface of the member 6 to prevent further pivotal movement of member 18. The springs 26 are then compressed as the fastening member 24 and member 25 continue to pivot, the pins 27 moving along the slots 28, to bring an edge 31 of the fastening member 24 into contact with the upper arm of the fastener 1 in the fastening station 11. By application of force to the operating member 25, the arm of the fastener is deformed into engagement with the sheet material, while the other arm is supported by the base member 3, to thereby clip the sheet materials securely between the arms of the fastener. When the member 25 is released, the. springs 26 move the members 24 and 25 back to their limit position relative to member 18 and so re lease the deformed fastener which, together with the sheet material, can then be removed from the apparatus. On removal of the deformed fastener, the next adjacent fastener in the magazine is moved into the fastening station.

Advantageously the edge 31 of the fastening member 24 which bears on the upper arm of the fastener l is that of a protuberance 32 so that the arm is deformed with a kink 33 (FIG. 2) to more securely hold sheet material between the arms thereof.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular form of U-shaped fastener, it will be appreciated that other forms, within the ambit of the phrase generally U-shaped, of fasteners may be used with suitable modification of the magazine of the apparatus and the fastening member.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for fastening sheet material by means of a generally U-shaped fastener comprising a. elongate magazine means including a pair of I relatively movable magazine members (3, 18) for receiving a plurality of said fasteners, said magazine means being open along one longitudinal side, the adjacent opposed longitudinal surfaces of said magazine members containing recesses for receiving the arms of said fasteners when said fasteners are arranged within said magazine means with the U openings of the fasteners facing said one longitudinal side;

b. means (10, for biasing the fasteners in said magazine means toward a fastening station at one end of said magazine means; and

c. fastening means including a fastening member (24) operable to bear on an arm of a fastener in said fastening station to deform said arm into engagement with sheet material received between the arms of the fastener in said station, whereby the sheet material received between the arms of the fastener in said fastening station can extend also between the arms of the remaining fasteners in said magazine means.

2. Apparatus for fastening sheet material by means of a generally U-shaped fastener, comprising a. a pair of relatively movable magazine members (3,

l8) defining a magazine (5) for receiving a plurality of said fasteners, the adjacent surfaces of each of said magazine members containing a recess for accommodating respective arms of fasteners contained in said magazine, said magazine members being relatively movable apart for loading said magazine with said fasteners;

b. means (10, 15) for biasing fasteners in said magazine toward a fastening station (11) in which sheet material is receivable between the arms of a fastener in said station; and

c. fastening means including a fastening member (24) operable to bear on an arm of a fastener in said station to deform said arm into engagement with the sheet material.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said magazine is such that sheet material to be fastened is receivable between the arms of fasteners in said magazine.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fastening member is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to one of said magazine members, and further including biasing means resisting movement of said fastening member in the fastener deforming direction relative to said one magazine member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including an operating member for operating said fastening member and on which said fastening member and said one magazine member are mounted.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said fastening member is fixedly mounted on said operating member and said one magazine member is pivotally mounted on said operating member and biased to a limit position relative thereto.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said limit position is determined by a pin and slot coupling said operating and said one magazine member.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said operating member is pivotally mounted on said one magazine member.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said other magazine member provides a support surface in said fastening station for supporting the other arm of a fastener operable by said fastening member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fastening member includes a protuberance by which said fastening member bears on the one arm of a fastener in said fastening station to locally deform the one arm.

11, Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said biasing means for biasing fasteners in said magazine towards said fastening station is slidably mounted on said other magazine member and includes manually engageable means for retracting said biasing means against the bias thereon for loading the magazine with fasteners. 

1. Apparatus for fastening sheet material by means of a generally U-shaped fastener comprising a. elongate magazine means (5) including a pair of relatively movable magazine members (3, 18) for receiving a plurality of said fasteners, said magazine means being open along one longitudinal side, the adjacent opposed longitudinal surfaces of said magazine members containing recesses for receiving the arms of said fasteners when said fasteners are arranged within said magazine means with the U openings of the fasteners facing said one longitudinal side; b. means (10, 15) for biasing the fasteners in said magazine means toward a fastening station at one end of said magazine means; and c. fastening means including a fastening member (24) operable to bear on an arm of a fastener in said fastening station to deform said arm into engagement with sheet material received between the arms of the fastener in said station, whereby the sheet material received between the arms of the fastener in said fastening station can extend also between the arms of the remaining fasteners in said magazine means.
 2. Apparatus for fastening sheet material by means of a generally U-shaped fastener, comprising a. a pair of relatively movable magazine members (3, 18) defining a magazine (5) for receiving a plurality of said fasteners, the adjacent surfaces of each of said magazine members containing a recess for accommodating respective arms of fasteners contained in said magazine, said magazine members being relatively movable apart for loading said magazine with said fasteners; b. means (10, 15) for biasing fasteners in said magazine toward a fastening station (11) in which sheet material is receivable between the arms of a fastener in said station; and c. fastening means including a fastening member (24) operable to bear on an arm of a fastener in said station to deform said arm into engagement with the sheet material.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said magazine is such that sheet material to be fastened is receivable between the arms of fasteners in said magazine.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fastening member is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to one of said magazine members, and further including biasing means resisting movement of said fastening member in the fastener deforming direction relative to said one magazine member.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including an operating member for operating said fastening member and on which said fastening member and said one magazine member are mounted.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said fastening member is fixedly mounted on said operating member and said one magazine member is pivotally mounted on said operating member and biased to a limit position relative thereto.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said limit position is determined by a pin and slot coupling said operating and said one magazine member.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said operating member is pivotalLy mounted on said one magazine member.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said other magazine member provides a support surface in said fastening station for supporting the other arm of a fastener operable by said fastening member.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fastening member includes a protuberance by which said fastening member bears on the one arm of a fastener in said fastening station to locally deform the one arm.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said biasing means for biasing fasteners in said magazine towards said fastening station is slidably mounted on said other magazine member and includes manually engageable means for retracting said biasing means against the bias thereon for loading the magazine with fasteners. 